New Zealand-based design agency, Designworks has secured two senior appointments to accelerate the agency’s strategic and creative transformation.
Effective immediately, Anna Gregory has joined as head of strategy and Vinesh Kumar has stepped into the role of creative director. Both will report to Megan D’Audney, who took the helm in February.
Gregory recently returned from 15 years in the US, whilst Kumar is fresh from major creative roles in London and New York.
“Our ambition has never been simply to keep pace, but to actively redefine what brand transformation looks like in this region. To do that, we need a calibre of talent that can challenge the status quo,” said D’Audney.
“Bringing Vinesh and Anna into our leadership fold is a massive coup. Their collective experience operating at the absolute highest levels in London, New York, Seattle and LA ecosystem brings a global perspective back home. Beyond their exceptional craft, they both share a relentless drive for high-impact, simplified storytelling.”
As head of strategy, Gregory is tasked with driving strategic rigor across Designworks’ global and local client portfolios, utilising her background as a lead creative strategist, spanning research, product design and brand leadership for brands including Starbucks, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon.
“Having worked inside the tech design space in the US, I know that great creative work relies on incredibly sharp, fearless strategy. The ambition here at Designworks to bridge the gap between complex business strategy and beautiful customer experiences is exactly the kind of challenge I want to tackle. We are here to make an impact, and the energy in this team is incredibly exciting,” said Gregory.
Kumar has been tasked with shaping the agency’s creative output, blending global design systems with the rapid, commercial needs of the local market.
“I believe in building distinctive, enduring brand systems through tight, highly collaborative, and hungry teams. Designworks has an extraordinary legacy, but what excited me most about joining Megan and Anna is the vision for where we are taking the studio next,” Kumar added.
